Adhesive bandage



July 26, 1950 P. scHLADERMuNDT ETAL ADHESIVE BANDAGE Filed May 2, 195e ATTORN wird m ADHESIVE BANDAGE Peter Schladermundt, Bronxville, and William H. Dennerlein, Bethpage, N Y., and Langdon S. Simons, Jr., Darien, Conn., assignors to Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 2, 1956, Ser. No. 582,259

15 Claims. (Cl. 20G-63.2)

The present invention relates to an individually packaged adhesive bandage unit of the type comprising an adhesive bandage and a wrapper therefor. The adhesive bandage has a flexible backing coated with a pressuresensitive adhesive composition and may consist of a simple strip of adhesive tape or may be of the dressing type, in which an absorbent compress or pad is aflixed to the iiexible adhesively coated backing to expose the adhesive on the parts of the backing beyond the pad. An adhesive bandage of this dressing type may take the form, for example, of a strip, patch, spot or so-called middle wound bandage.

The usual adhesive bandage of the general type described has its exposed adhesive surface and its pad or compress, if such pad is provided, protected by a facing sheet member or members, and such a bandage is sterile and is packaged individually in such a manner that sterility is maintained until the package is opened. For that purpose, the bandage, protectively faced as described, is enclosed in an envelope or wrapper.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a new and improved individually packaged adhesive bandage, which is constructed to permit removal vof the wrapper and the adhesive protective or facing sheet and simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage by a simple balanced peeling operation without distorting the bandage or curling it out of shape, which is designed to permit removal of the adhesive facing sheet and the simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage without the fingers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive surface, which can be conveniently handled for application to the injured skin after at least part of the wrapper is removed without the fingers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive surface, which is designed to make it self-evident how the package can be manipulated for its unsealing and removal of the adhesive bandage, and which lends itself easily and compactly to storage in a container as part of a pack.

Various other objects of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front face View of the individually packaged adhesive bandage unit embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear face view of the individually packaged adhesive bandage unit, parts of the wrapper being shown broken away to reveal the interior structure of the package unit;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the individually packaged adhesive bandage unit taken on lines 3 3 of Fig. l but shown on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the individually packaged adhesive bandage unit taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 1;

.Fig 5 is a perspective showing the package unit of Figs. l to 4 in the process of being manipulated to withdraw the adhesive bandage from its wrapper;

, Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the package unit of Figs. l to 4 in the process of being manipulated to withdraw the adhesive bandage from its wrapper, this operation being shown at a stage later than that shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the adhesive bandage without the wrapper.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown therein app-lied to a package unit for an article including an adhesive bandage of the strip type having an absorbent' compress or pad and exposed adhesive surfaces, although as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, it may be applied to other types of adhesive bandages, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The package unit illustrated in general comprises an adhesive bandage '10, a pair of protective facing sheets 11 and 12 for said bandage constituting with said bandage the enclosed article, and an expendable wrapper 13 of flexible material for said bandage. The adhesive bandage 10 vcomprises a strip 14 of adhesive tape backing material, which may be either woven or non-woven fibrous material, such as extensible polyvinyl chloride film and which may have the usual ventilation holes near the center region. Deposited on the strip 14 is a layer 15 of pressure-sensitive adhesive, which affords the necessary degree of adhesion for the attachment of the dressing pad thereto. A dressing'pad 16, composed preferably of suitably folded woven or non-woven fabric, paper or other absorbent material, is placed on and secured to the adhesive layer 15. rl`his dressing pad 16 is slightly narrower than the adhesive strip 14 and much shorter, and is centered on the adhesive strip to form exposedlend sections 17 and 18 covered with adhesive beyond the ends of the pad. Fig. 7 shows the form of the adhesive bandage 10 before packaging.

For packaging, the adhesive bandage 10 has its end adhesive section 18 folded back along the fold line 20 to detine two contiguous overlapping panels and to bring said section against the rear of the backing strip 14, the confronting faces of said adhesive section and said backing strip being free of adhesive.

To protect the adhesive'surfaces of the adhesive bandage 10 while in the wrap-per 13, the two facing sheets 11 and 12 are provided. The facing sheet 11 extends along the front of the adhesive bandage 10 to cover and contact the adhesive sec-tion 17 thereof as well as part of the pad 16 and the facing sheet 12 extends along the rear of the adhesive bandage to cover and contact the adhesive section 18 thereof.

The specic materials from which the different components of the adhesive bandage package lunit are made are preferably those described `in the U.S. Patent No. 2,708,083. That patent discloses a facing member which serves as protection for the adhesive surface of the band-l age and which is smooth and continuous and constituted of organic material substantially inert with respect to the adhesive. This type of facing member serves to develop substantially the full sticking powers of the adhesive to which it is protectively applied. Materials proposed 'for that purpose in the aforesaid patent are vinyl chloride -resins and copolymers thereof with vinyl acetate and vinylidene chloride, cellulose acetate, cellophane, epoxy resins, etc. and also resins which may be employed as coatings. The facing sheets 11 and 12 of the present invention, in the adhesive protective contact with the bandage sections 17 and 18, are advantageously made of this material.

The wrapper 13 individually packages the adhesive bandage 10, so that after sterilization, said bandage will remain sterile. For that purpose, this wrapper 13 comprises a wrapper sheet 21 made of suitable exible material, which is desirably pervious, such as glassine, if the package unit is to be subjected to thermal treatment to sterilize the adhesive bandage 10 therein, orY which is pervious or impervious if the adhesive bandage is treated chemically for sterilization before packaging. A suitable impervious wrapper sheet would be cellophane.

The facing sheets 11 and 12 have end sections 22 and 23, respectively, projecting outwardly beyond the fold 'line 20 of the adhesive bandage 1t?, and the wrapper sheet 21 Ahas two sections 24 and 25 extending along the opposite surfaces of the protectively faced adhesive bandage and is folded around the projecting end'sections 22 andV 23 to form two successive folds separated by a fold line and thereby to form finger tabs 26 and 27 respectively with -said projecting end sections of the facing sheets, the fold forming the finger tab 26 being in the form of a pleat. The tabs 26 and 27 are free to permit them to be conveniently grasped by the fingers but are normally close 'together in overlapping face contact and the tab 27 is llonger and projects beyond the tab 26, to permit said longer` tab 27 to serve conveniently as -a linger holding tab, and the other tab 26 to serve as a pulling tab, and to permit thereby easy separation of said tabs from at close relation to the spread wing position shown in Fig. 3 for easy manipulation. The opposite end sections of the wrapper sheet 21 come together in face contact at one end of the adhesive bandage and are joined to form a breakable transverse seam 30 at this end.

The facing sheets 11 and 12 lare slightly wider than the adhesive bandage and the wrapper sheet 21 is wider than the bandage and the facing sheets and is transversely centered with respect to said bandage, so that the longitudinal margin sides of the wrapper sheet project beyond the longitudinal sides of the protectively faced adhesive bandage. The outer layers of the two successive folds defining the finger tabs 26 and 27 are extended -to form the outside wall sections of the wrapper sheet 21 on opposite faces of the adhesive bandage 10 forming part of the Wrapper sheet sections 24 and 25 respectively, yand the projecting margins of these outside wall sections are secured together to form a breakable longitudinal seam 31 joining into the transverse end seam 30 and to form between these outside wall sections a single pocket to receive the adhesive bandage. The margin projecting side sections of those parts of the wrapper sheet 21 flanking the projecting end tab sections 22 and 23 of the facing sheets 11 and 12 are also secured together to form marginal longitudinal seams 32 and 33 respectively constituting substantially continuations of the seam 31. These tab seams 32 and 33 need not be of the breakable type, for the reasons to be made apparent.

The wrapper sheet 21 folded and seamed as described forms an envelope for the adhesive bandage 10 with the facing sheets 11 and 12.

The character of the means employed to form the seams 30 and 31 depends on the character of the wrapper sheet 21. If the wrapper sheet 21 is of thermoplastic material, then these seams 30 and 31 may be made by heat-sealing, strong enough to seal and to protect the sterility of the adhesive bandage but weak enough to permit the opposed sections of the wrapper sheet along these seams to separate upon pulling action without tear ing. If the wrapper material is not thermoplastic, or even if thermoplastic, the seams 30 and 31 may be formed with adhesive of a character which seals and protects the sterility of the adhesive bandage 10 but which nevertheless assures the smooth, easy, orderly removal of the wrapper sheet 21 by peeling operation, in a manner to be described, without tearing the wrapper vsheet along said seams.

The tab seams 32 and 33 may also be made by heatsealing or adhesive, but this 'need not be of temporary nature, since these seams are not intended to be opened up in the process of withdrawing the adhesive bandage 10 from the wrapper 13.

The wrapper 13 is intended to be ruptured in a transverse region 35 nearthe inner end of the tab 26 and near the -fold line between the successive folds of the wrapper the unfolded adhesive bandage.

sheet 21 dening the tabs 26 and 27, preliminary to the operation of withdrawing the adhesive bandage 10 from said wrapper. To facilitate this rupture without exposing the interior of the package unit to contamination, the wrapper sheet 13 at this region 3S has aligned cuts 35 across the seam 31 ou opposite sides of the package unit. These cuts 36 may be in the form of slits, as shown, or may constitute notches. With this tear construction, when the tab 26 is tilted in its plane with respect to the body of the package unit and at the same time pulled away from said body, the wrapper sheet 21 will tear transversely across the sheet in the line of the cuts 36 in the region 35 without tearing the facing sheet 11.

The linger tabs 26 and 27 are marked as shown in Fig. l to indicate their functions and the manner in which they can be manipulated to effect 'the Withdrawal of the adhesive bandage 10 therefrom. However, even without such markings, it is self-evident from the construction of the package unit, how the unit can be unsealed and the adhesive bandage 10 removed from its wrapper. The singular construction of the package unit at its tab end directs immediate attention to this end.

To effect Withdrawal of the adhesive bandage 10 from the wrapper 13, the tab 27 is held by the fingers of one hand and the tab 26 is tilted edgewise and pulled by the fingers of the other hand to rupture the wrapper transversely at the inner end of the tab 26 in the region 35 along the slits 36 in the manner described. With the Vwrapper 13 so ruptured, the tab pulling and holding operations are continued to progressively open up the longitudinal seam 31 and to cause the front section 24 of the wrapper sheet with the facing sheet 11 to draw away from the pad 16 and then to peel away from the adhesive end section 17 of the adhesive bandage, as shown in Fig. 5, until the transverse seam 30 is reached, whereupon continued pull on the tab 26 will open up the seam 30. This action will completely separate the -tab 26 and wrapper sheet section 24 with attached facing sheet 11 from the rest of the package unit. The tab 27 with the attached folded adhesive bandage 10 and facing sheet 12 remain in the lingers of one hand but without the bandage coming in contact with these lingers. The adhesive end section 17 of the bandage 10 is free and exposed and can be applied to the injured or affected skin or surface without the fingers coming in contact with the adhesive bandage, and while this end section of the bandage is so anchored to the skin, the tab 27 can be pulled lengthwise to cause the adhesive end section 18 of the bandage to reversely unfold and at the same time to cause the facing sheet 12 to peel from the adhesive end section 18, as shown in Fig. 6, until the tab 27, facing sheet 12 and wrapper sheet section 25 are completely detached from The free unfolded adhesive end section 18 can then be pressed down against the skin to complete the application of the bandage thereto.

Although the invention is shown in connection with a package unit in which the facing sheets -11 and 412 for the adhesive surfaces of the bandage are separate from the wrapper 13 as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the `facing sheets may constitute rnere coatings or laminations for the wrapper to form an integral unit therewith, or the wrapper may be of suitable material to serve not only as a wrapper but as a facing member in direct contact with the adhesive surfaces of the tape end sections 17 and 18 to protect said surfaces. In all other respects, the package unit would be constructed and manipulated for withdrawal of the adhesive bandage as described. j

If the wrapper is to' be employed also as a facing member, then it would present a smooth sunface to the adhesive "15 on the bandage l10 and, for that purpose, would Ibe made of the materials described above for the facing sheets 11 and 12. Ccllophane, for example would be a suitable material for the Wrapper 13 for that purpose.

The invention has been shown applied to a form of adhesive bandage containing an elongated rectangular strip ofadhesive to which is aiiixed an absorbent rectangular pad or compress. However, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the invention may be applied to adhesive bandages of other shapes. For example, it can be applied to a so-called patch type of adhesive bandage, in which a square piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a square absorbent pad in the center or to a so-called spot type of adhesive bandage in which a round piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a round absorbent pad in the center, or to a so-cal'led middle wound type of band-age in which a comparatively large piece of gauze in the form of a pad has connected thereacross one or more strips of adhesive tape projecting beyond the gauze.

Also, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the adhesive bandage protected and wrapped in accordance with the present invention may consist simply of a piece off adhesive tape without an absorbent pad, such as the pad 16.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to be limitedthereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous overlapping panels with the bac-kings of the panels on the inside face to face, and with the adhesive layer on the outside ofV one olf said panels, a wrapper for said adhesive bandage having two successive folds therein near one end of lthe. package unit separated by a fold line and `serving astabsrespectively by which the wrapper may be ruptured and removed from the adhesive bandage,l and a sheet connected to one of said tabs and attached to the outside of the said one panel by the adhesive layer in `face contact therewith to serve as a facing member for the adhesive -layer on the outside of said one panel, whereby when said one tab is pulled after rupture of the wrapper, the sheet is caused to be peeled oif the said one panel, and at the same time the said one panel to be unfolded.

2. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 1, wherein the sheet is separate from the wrapper.

3. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous overlapping panels Vwith the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outsides of both of said panels, a wrapper for said ad hesive bandage having two successive folds therein near one end of the package unit separated by a fold line and serving as tabs respectively by which the wrapper may be ruptured and removed from the adhesive bandage, and a pair of sheets connected to said tabs respectively and attached to the outsides of said panels by the adhesive layer in face contact therewith to serve as facing members for the adhesive sides of said panels, whereby when said tabs are ruptured by relative pull on said tabs and the end of the adhesive bandage opposite the tab end is held while one of the tabs is pulled, the sheet connected to the latter tab will peel off the latter panel and cause the latter panel to unfold.

4. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 3, wherein said facing sheets are separate from the wrapper.

5. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backingand a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous outsides of both of said panels, a wrapper for said bandage consisting of a single wrapper sheet having two successive folds therein near one end of the package unit separated by a fold line and serving as tabs respectively by which the wrapper may be broken and the Wrapper sheet removed from the adhesive bandage, the opposite ends of the wrapper sheet being located near the other end of the package unit and being joined together to form -a breakable seam, said wrapper sheet'having the longitudinal margins of the sections thereof on opposite Vfaces of the adhesive bandage projecting beyond the longitudinal sides of the adhesive bandage and joined to gether, whereby said wrapper sheet forms an envelope for Ysaid adhesive bandage, said Wrapper sheet being weakened near the region of said fold line to perm-it said wrapper sheet to be ruptured thereacross, when said tabs are pulled relatively apart, and a pair of sheets connected to said tabs respectively and attached lto the outsides of Vsaid panels by the adhesive layer in face contact therewith to serve as facing members for the adhesive sides of said panelsf f6. An adhesive bandage package unit as defined in claim 5, wherein said facing sheets are separate from the wrapper sheet.

7. An adhesive bandage package unit as defined in claimv 5, wherein each of said folds comprises opposed sections and wherein said facing sheets are separate from the wrapper sheet and each is interleaved between the opposed sections of the corresponding fold to which it is connected.v 8. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an Yadhesive'bandageincluding an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous overlapping panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outside of one of said panels, and a wrapper for said bandage having two successive folds therein near one end of the package unitfseparated by a fold line and serving as tabs respectively by which the wrapper may be broken and removed from the adhesive bandage, said wrapper being weakened near the region of said fold line to permit said wrapper to be ruptured when said tabs are pulled relatively apart, said wrapper defining two opposed sections extending along the opposite surfaces of the reversely folded bandage, whereby when one of said tabs is pulled after rupture of the wrapper, the wrapper section attached to the latter tab is pulled away from the bandage, exposing the bandage and permitting said bandage to be peeled easily away from the other wrapper section and at the same time to be unfolded.

9. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 12, wherein the fold line of the bandage is nearest the tabs near one end of the package unit, whereby the bandage may be removed from the ruptured wrapper by merely pulling the end of the bandage near the other end of the bandage unit to peel the bandage -away from said other wrapper section and at the same time unfold the bandage without interference from either tab.

1.0. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including 4an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to dene two contiguous overlapping front and back panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outside of the back panel, a wrapper for said adhesive bandage comprising two sheet sections extending along the adhesive bandage on the front and back sides thereof, the marginal confronting parts of the wrapper sheet sections on opposite sides of the adhesive bandage being attached together face to face to form longitudinal seams along the sides of the adhesive bandage which can be opened by peeling action and to form an envelope for the adhesive bandage, said front and back wrapper sheet sections having end parts forming front and .back tabs respectively near one .end of the package unit joined together by a breakable connection, and a sheet connected to the back tab and attached to the outside of the back panel by the adhesive layer in face contact therewith to serve as a facing member for the adhesive layer on the outside of the back panel.

1 1. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim l0, wherein the back tab is formed by folding the end part of the back wrapper sheet section to form a pocket -into which one `end of said facing sheet member extends to connect the latter end of the facing sheet .member to the back tab.

12. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage land a wrapper for said bandage-comprising two sections with confronting faces extending along the opposite faces of the bandage to form the package unit with one end portion of thepackage unit denving ka finger tab, one -of said Wrapper sections being folded in the form of a pleat near said tab portion to form a linger tab adjoining and facing the rst mentioned tab, said bandage being outside the eld of said Ilinger tabs, whereby when said finger tabs are grasped, ,the bandage is free from the conning action of the grasping lingers, said one wrapper section being weakened at ithe base of `the fold nearest ysaid rst mentioned finger tab to permit said wrapper to be ruptured when said .tabs `are pulled Arelatively apart, the outer end sections of the two 'linger Vtabs being fr ee across their full width `and for lengths suioient to permit said folds to be conveniently grasped by the fingers for pulling manipulation relatively apart. 13. Au adhesive bandage package unit asdescribed in Vclaim 12, wherein said bandage is reversely folded'to .ex- .tend s'aid bandage inwardly of said end tab portion of the package unit.

14. An Vadhesive bandage as described in claim 12, .Said wrapper consisting of a wrapper sheethaving its 4opposite ends located beyond the regions of .said linger Atabs and being joined together `face to face to form a breakable seam, said wrapper 'sections having their longitudinal margins projecting beyond the longitudinal `sides of the adhesive bandage and being joined together face to face by breakable seams along the sides of the adhesive bandage strong Ienough to seal and to protect the adhesive bandage against contamination but weak enough kto permit said wrapper sections to separate Ialong said longitudinal margins without tearing upon pulling of ysaid tabs apart.

15. An ladhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage and a Wrapper for said bandage comprising two sections with confronting faces extending along the opposite faces of the bandage to form the package unit with one end portion of the package unit delining a linger tab, one of said wrapper sections being folded in the form of a pleat near said t-ab portion to form a linger tab adjoining and facing the first mentioned tab, said one wrapper section being weakened at the base of the fold nearest said `first mentioned linger tab to permit said wrapper to be ruptured when said tabs are pulled relatively apart, said wrapper consisting of a wrapper sheet having its opposite ends located beyond the Yregions of said linger tabs and being joined together face to face to form a breakable seam, said wrapper sections having their longitudinal margins projecting beyond the longitudinal sides of the adhesive bandage and being joined'together face to face by breakable seams along the sides of the adhesive bandage strong enough to seal and to protect the adhesive bandage against contamination but weak enough Vto permit said wrapper sections to separate along said longitudinal margins without tearing upon pulling of said tabs apart.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED `STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORECTIUN Patent Noe. 2,946V435 July 26 1960 Peter Schladermundi; el: alf,

that error appears in the printed specification of the' above numbered patent Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3 line 40V for "'bandagm The margin read bandage l0@ The marginal m; Column 6(I line 55V for the claim reference numeral "l2" read MH 8 fm Signed and sealed this 3rd day of January 1961a (SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho AXLINE ROBERT C. WAFESUN Attesting Ocer Commissioner of Patents 

